


Home From Tour

by lyingmap



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Domestic, Established Relationship, F/F, argument
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-13
Updated: 2015-06-13
Packaged: 2018-04-04 06:25:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4128210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lyingmap/pseuds/lyingmap
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Blake comes home from a book tour to find Ruby's brought someone else home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Home From Tour

**Author's Note:**

> From a prompt on Tumblr that went "I know you haven’t had the best experience with cats in the past but look at its face please please can we keep it?"

Back in Los Angeles from two weeks on her first European book tour, Blake trudged across the sidewalk to the familiar little red car. Even in the perpetual shade of the lower level of the airport's traffic circle, she could see Ruby's blazing grin through the open car window.

Then a brick-square head popped out the car window and regarded Blake impassively with beady eyes, its nostrils twitching. Blake stopped dead and gripped her suitcase tight. She _knew_ she should have cancelled…

"I can explain!" Ruby's voice came, a little desperately, from inside the car.

Blake narrowed her eyes at the dog, and its head disappeared back into the car, and she could see her girlfriend's grin had gone sheepish. Blake closed her eyes and counted to ten while she glared at the inside of her eyelids, then opened her eyes, walked to the trunk of the car to deposit her suitcase, then got in the passenger seat, looking straight ahead and not acknowledging Ruby, lest she snap something unfortunate.

When Ruby pulled away from the curb and into the airport traffic, Blake looked back into the back seat to see the dog sitting on the back seat, looking calmly out the back window. Blake looked forward as Ruby merged onto the freeway and bit her lip. _Should have cancelled the tour_ , she thought to herself. She'd wanted to stay home and comfort Ruby when Zwei had suddenly passed away of old age, but Ruby had _insisted_ that Blake go, that she would be _fine_ … Blake looked over her shoulder at the pale grey, solid mass of muscle and bone sitting calmly in the back seat. She realized she hadn't been _nearly_ worried enough. "What… is it?" she said, trying to keep her voice calm.

"She's Crescent," Ruby said warily. At the name, the dog gave Ruby an adoring glance and the truncated stump of tail twitched back and forth a few times "She's a mutt, but… there's probably a lot of pitbull in her. Or bull terrier, or…" Ruby shrugged, and glanced aside at Blake. "I wouldn't have, but the shelter didn't have room for her. She's about four, had all her shots, she's in good health, she's really good with cats, I'm just… taking care of her for now."

Blake glanced back again. The cur's ancestry was obvious, in the square head and the massive bones; the dog looked like she'd been carved out of granite or concrete, some primal, elemental force in the back seat. A curved patch of white fur along her flank, like a sword-slash, made the reason for her name obvious. "By 'shelter' you mean Velvet, don't you?"

"Wellllll…" Ruby trailed off, and she shrugged. "Yeah. She asked me to take care of Crescent for a few days and… see how things work out."

"Is this because I went on tour without you?" Blake asked.

"No!" Ruby shook her head, shifted into the carpool lane, and pushed the gas to the floor. "I _told_ you to go without me, remember."

"Then why'd you-" Blake bit her lip, and picked her words with tact despite the jet lag and oncoming headache. "I thought you were still mourning Zwei… I didn't think you'd…"

"I was," Ruby sighed, her voice thick with unshed tears. "Crescent isn't a replacement, and you can't replace a dog. You shouldn't even try." She shifted out of the carpool lane and angled the car toward an interchange ramp, and Blake gripped the dashboard and prayed silently and incoherently. "But it was too quiet - you know, the cats just ignore me whenever you're gone - and Crescent has been _very_ good. I've been penning her up in the kitchen to keep the cats away from her, but they've been doing fine around her. Mostly." Ruby paused. "If you're mad, I can… take her back on Monday, Velvet said she'd probably have some space opened up."

Two days. Blake could take two days. "Just drive."

"Got it," Ruby said in a very small voice. "So, how was the flight?"

"It was okay," Blake said, and leaned her head against the window, trying to ignore the dog in the backseat. She could make it through two days.

###

Blake set her suitcase down in the apartment foyer, realized she had been braced for the slow click-clack of Zwei's toenails on the tile, and closed the door behind her with a snort of irritation at her habit of mind. She had come to tolerate Zwei over the long years, as Zwei had aged and calmed from his puppyish enthusiasms. Without the corgi, their apartment seemed entirely too quiet. "Babies? I'm home!"

A rapid pitter-patter announced the arrival of Gambol, the little black cat charging down the hallway toward Blake's feet and emitting a barely audible whine. On his heels, Shroud stalked into the hall, her white hair bristling. Blake's larger cat stared for a moment, then yowled loudly and twined her muscular bulk around Blake's ankles, loudly reprimanding her for her long absence.

"Okay, okay, okay, I'm _sorry_ baby!" Blake leaned down and assigned a hand to scratch each of her cats so they would not quarrel over her affections. Shroud continued her scolding, even if her voice cracked and warbled when Blake scratched under her chin. "I'm sorry you have to deal with that big ugly brute of a dog."

Shroud flirted her tail, turned away from Blake's hand, and stalked to a corner of the hallway where the cats' food and water bowls had been relocated from the kitchen. Blake walked over and took a look, reassured that the food bowl was about half-full and the water looked clean and fresh. At least grief - and the new dog - had not distracted Ruby from taking care of Blake's cats.

Blake shook off the negative thoughts and hauled her suitcase into the bedroom with Gambol pitter-pattering at her heels. She'd been concerned about Ruby's emotional health through the entire book tour, and had been looking forward to doing some serious comforting - and relieving the accumulated strain of two weeks of hectic air travel and bookstores and conventions at the same time. But instead Ruby was out walking the dog, and Blake could feel the incipient argument sitting like a storm cloud over her emotions. Though Ruby had promised to take it back to Velvet, Blake still anticipated a tearful argument when it came time to return the dog.

Blake shook her head as the apartment door opened to the noise of Shroud's tearing-canvas snarl. Her head snapped up, but then came Ruby's voice, saying nervously, "Crescent, come on, Shroud, it's okay," and a high pitched yelp. Blake darted for the door, stumbling as Shroud, every hair standing on end and making her look double her normal size, went streaking between her legs and under the bed.

Blake recovered her balance and stuck her head into the hallway to see Ruby crouched next the door, cradling the dog's head in her hands, muttering reassurances. "Can you get me a towel?" she said without looking at Blake.

Blake grabbed a rag towel out of the hall closet and threw it at Ruby, who dabbed it at the dog's snout. The dog whined and tried to bury her head under Ruby's arm, leaving thin streaks of blood across Ruby's shirt. "What the hell happened? Did that mutt attack my cat?"

"Other way around," Ruby said grimly. "I brought Crescent in while Shroud was at the bowls, and she got all pissy and growly. Crescent was trying to stay by the door, not get any closer, and I was trying to get her to the kitchen so Shroud could get out, and…" Ruby sighed, then chuckled as she led the dog toward the kitchen. "You should have seen it though, Shroud went all ninja on poor Crescent's face, like a blender. She's got at least two cuts, and she just hid behind me until Shroud was gone."

Blake followed Ruby toward the kitchen and leaned on the doorway as Ruby carefully shut the baby gate that had kept Zwei separated from their bedroom at night, and now kept Crescent in the kitchen. Then Ruby knelt by the dog's side, unclipped her leash, and ran the towel over the dog's face. "Sorry, Crescent," Ruby said in a loving tone that set Blake's teeth on edge. "I'll let you get out of the way next time."

"You're apologizing to the _dog_?" Blake asked. "She terrified my cat!"

"Your cat regularly bullies my dog, Blake." Ruby pulled the towel away from the dog's face and closely inspected its muzzle. The dog allowed her inspection, then scrambled forward and licked at Ruby's neck. Ruby giggled. "Look at her, she's got a heart of butter."

"With a head bigger than Gambol," Blake eyed the mutt's massive skull and powerful jaws, and shuddered at the thought of those jaws anywhere near her precious stunted cat. The dog was the complete antithesis of Zwei, all muscle and malice without the corgi's charm. "What if it decides to make a snack out of Gambol?"

"They've been getting along really well, actually-"

"Of course, because Gambol's protected by the gate. Do you plan to keep it perpetually in the kitchen?" Ruby stood and started to respond, but the dog turned and regarded Blake with closed mouth and narrowed eyes. At the movement, Blake felt a surge of anger, and decided to release it, to show Ruby exactly what she'd done with her thoughtless impulse. "Ruby, did you think _at all_ before you brought home some strange dog, put _my cats_ in danger, without even _talking_ to me?" Ruby stepped back, eyes wide, as Blake's voice rose in anger. "I swear, Ruby-"

Blake cut off as the dog stepped between her and Ruby, its head down and a chainsaw rumble of a growl coming from its thick chest. Blake took a step back in automatic reaction, despite the baby gate between her and the dog. Ruby barked at the dog, "Crescent! _Down_!" in a voice of command, and the dog sank down to the floor. Ruby knelt next to the dog and put her hand on the back of its neck. Blake suppressed a spurt of jealous rage. "You _do not_ growl at Blake, you hear?"

The dog whimpered and pressed its chin to the floor, not looking at Ruby or Blake. Ruby stood and stepped over the baby gate, putting a hand on Blake's shoulder. "Pizza's on the way, let's talk about this -"

"No," Blake snapped, brushing Ruby's hand off her shoulder. "There's nothing to talk about. You got this dog without talking to me, without thinking about me or what I care about." As tears welled up in Ruby's eyes, and her mouth opened and closed like a fish, Blake pointed at the dog. "That dog has to be gone by Monday, or I am."

Ruby blinked and hunched her back, hiding her face from Blake, and Blake turned away before her heart could betray her into relenting. She stormed to the door with her head down and her heart crumbling into the pit in her stomach.

###

Blake walked four times around the block before the anger and tears receded and her chest felt normal, and two more before she was sure she wouldn't break all over again when she went back up to the apartment. She hadn't liked making an ultimatum, but she could not see herself honestly taking it back, or forgiving Ruby's thoughtlessness in bringing the dog home without any discussion.

Blake was tempted to walk to the diner on the next block over instead of returning home for dinner, but she had to return sooner or later. She stopped on a corner and looked up at the sky, which was beginning to bruise with the oncoming night, then turned around and started back to the apartment.

###

When she came back, Ruby was curled up on the end of the couch, her face pressed to the pillow resting on the arm, and the air was heady with the smell of salt and cheese from the pizza box on the table, lying closed against feline depredations, though Gambol nosed around the box hopefully.

Blake closed the door quietly, padded across the apartment to the table next to the kitchen door. She plucked Gambol off the box and scratched under his chin, muttering sweet senseless reassurances to her smaller cat. His growth stunted by a kittenhood disease that had almost killed him, Gambol sometimes seemed stuck in kittenhood forever, intrepidly exploring the world around him with no brakes or inhibition. She glared toward the kitchen and the dog lying on its side on the floor. The kitchen had been a favorite haunt of Gambol's before the dog had come and driven him out.

Gambol drove pointed paws into Blake's chest, and Blake resumed her attentions. She hadn't liked being so firm with Ruby, but holding Gambol in her hands and feeling his tiny, fearless fragility, she felt completely certain in her actions. Letting the dog go would break Ruby's heart, but it was the only way to protect her furry babies.

Shroud jumped up on the end of the couch opposite Ruby and yowled for attention, and Ruby jerked upright at the noise. "Blake! You're back!"

Gambol wriggled and squirmed in Blake's arms, and Blake set him down on the floor under the table. "I'm back," she said levelly, keeping her eyes off Ruby and the dog.

Ruby drifted up to Ruby's side and wrapped her arms cautiously around Blake's shoulders. "I called Velvet. She doesn't have room, but Yang could take Crescent until Velv has room or a family." Ruby sniffled and buried her face in Blake's shoulder. "She'll probably be okay there. I hope."

Blake thought of Yang's house on the edge of the desert and the pack of mongrel mutts that she kept, and nodded. "It- she'll fit right in."

"I hope so. I hope they aren't mean to her, she's such a softie. I wish-" Ruby nuzzled Blake's shoulder, and her voice went muffled. "No, I was wrong, I'm sorry."

"You were lonely and hurting," Blake murmured and stroked Ruby's hair. "Come on, love, get some food in you."

With a reluctant noise, Ruby detached from Blake's side and stepped over the baby gate into the kitchen to wash her hands at the sink. The dog came up to Ruby, whimpering softly, nuzzling her shoulder as she crouched to retrieve plates from their cupboard. Ruby gave the dog a shove with her shoulder, her head bent almost to her chest. The dog whined and curled up in front of the fridge, where it could see the table through the baby gate.

Ruby climbed over the baby gate and set the table while Blake washed her hands in the bathroom. She came back to find Ruby had set out a glass of iced tea at Blake's spot, and was scooping slices of thin-crust pizza with anchovies and extra cheese onto Blake's plate. Blake suppressed a chuckle as she sat opposite the kitchen door - even after fixing her mistake, Ruby felt the need to keep apologizing in actions. Blake resolved herself not to take advantage of it, watching Ruby with a faint, fond smile.

A rapid pitter-patter from the direction of the kitchen made Blake turn her head, expecting some fresh mischief from the dog, but instead Gambol was scaling the baby gate with claws like pitons and stunted tail held out like a banner. Blake moved to grab Gambol, but stumbled over Shroud as her bigger cat twined around her ankles. Blake pushed herself upright, brushed off Ruby's bewildered assistance, and lunged for the baby gate, but Gambol had reached the top and vaulted into the kitchen, landing next to the dog, which was watching Blake's antics with suspicion.

Blake watched horrified, heart in her mouth, certain she was about to see her little cat savaged and devoured by the monster - she'd _never_ forgive Ruby for this, a stray thought flashed-

And Gambol walked between the dog's paws, each the size of his head, and meowed. Not a cry of fear or terror, but the imperious squeak he used when he demanded Blake's lap or hands.

The dog lowered its head, Blake grabbed the edge of the bate, prepared to rip it down and rescue Gambol-

And the dog and cat touched noses for a moment, then the dog looked up at Blake with worried eyes. Its ears twitched slightly along the top of its skull, as if the beast was raising its eyebrows at her.

Gambol ignored Blake completely, jumping onto the dog's shoulder and kneading with his paws, stepping up and down as if stomping off mud. Blake winced, remembering Gambol's tiny needle claws pricking her skin, braced for the dog's reaction. But the dog just twitched a little, lounging back on its side to present a flatter surface under Gambol.

Gambol squeaked again, and curled into a tiny black ball of fuzz on the dog's shoulder, completely at peace with the world.

"Blake," Ruby said from behind Blake, "Everything okay?"

"I…" Blake swallowed the fear in her throat, along with an irrational flash of jealousy, and said softly, "Ruby, come look at this."

Blake felt Ruby's reassuringly solid warmth on her back. "Oh yeah, that. He likes cuddling with her. They've done that, since Crescent got here, three-four times that I've seen, and who knows how many times when I was at work or not looking."

Blake turned to her girlfriend, expecting to see the joke dancing in Ruby's eyes - she couldn't _mean_ that - but Ruby was just watching the scene with a bleak little smile and no surprise at all in her eyes. "I told you they got along really well," Ruby said.

"Did you -" Blake sputtered, "did you train them to do that?"

"Nope," Ruby grinned. "I just found them like that when I got up. Actually had to lift Gambol off because Crescent had to go out, but didn't want to shift her cuddle-buddy off." Ruby put a hand on Blake's lower back, and Blake felt herself leaning into the contact. "You okay? You seemed to take a spill there."

"Yeah, I'm fine, I just..." Blake said, and shook her head slowly. "That dog just looks so _mean_."

"I told you, Crescent's a sweetie," Ruby said. The dog twitched her floppy ears and wagged her stump of a tail, but didn't move from her spot.

"How did you get that dog from Velvet's shelter? Why doesn't it - she have a family already?"

"She did," Ruby said. "Her person died, and - " She was interrupted by Blake's stomach making a very audible protest. "Sit down and eat, and I'll tell you."

"Sure thing," Blake said and broke away from Ruby's touch for the table. "I…" she hesitated. "I may have been too hasty. Let's see how she works out."

"You were right," Ruby said as she sat next to Blake and slid a slice of pizza onto her plate. "I shouldn't have made a decision without asking you, and introducing her to your cats without you around was really reckless."

"Yeah, but… I'm thinking it might work out for the best." Blake wagged a finger under Ruby's nose. "But don't do it again, do you hear me, Ruby Rose?"

Ruby laughed, the silvery trill that had caught Blake's heart. "It's a deal."

  
  



End file.
